Watch out for late frosts
You may have been caught unawares by the early May cold snap. It’s a reminder that tender plants, outdoors and unprotected, are in danger until late May. Even in southern Britain, there’s a risk of frost in May. That increases further north and in parts of Scotland, June frosts are possible. our climate may be warmer now, but weather is less predictable and more severe.
Despite that, tender plants have been on sale for weeks. If you buy them, make sure you have adequate protection at home. If you grow your own summer plants, your greenhouse is probably bulging at the seams.
So the pressure is on to get everything outside and planted up.
If you already have tender plants outside, make sure there’s some
fleece handy for overnight protection if frost is expected. you can reduce risk of damage by hardening off tender young plants.
To do that, keep them outside but still potted or in cell trays, in a sheltered spot. An open cold frame is best but cardboard boxes or just a cosy corner does almost as well.
Cover the plants at night if temperatures are expected to dip to 5c or below. fleece is best for this and is light enough not to damage the plants. After ten to 15 days your plants should have toughened up.
If unexpected frost damages your plants, don’t despair. Many will recover, particularly if they were partly hardened off. Leave them untouched for a day or two, then assess the damage. Dead leaves and shoots can then be snipped off.
If the roots and bases of the plants have avoided damage, recovery will be full.